I contacted the media department of UEFA today.
I had a specific reason for sending them the following email to them:
I am a journalist (NUJ Press Card attached) and I am writing to you about two recent Europa League matches involving Rangers FC at Ibrox stadium.
The matches are:
Rangers v Osijek
Rangers V Maribor.
Did the UEFA Match Delegates report any discriminatory chanting in either of these matches at Ibrox Stadium?
If so has any disciplinary case been opened against Rangers FC?
I look forward to hearing from you.
In fairness they were very prompt, replying within a couple of hours:
Dear Phil,
No disciplinary proceedings have been open after the below-mentioned matches.
Kind regards,
The reason for this correspondence as that I had been contacted by someone who is senior in football administration within Scotland.
He had attended the Maribor game and had spoken with a colleague who had been at the Osijek match.
He told me that he had clearly heard “the full Ibrox songbook” at the Maribor game including the “Billy Boys”.
Moreover, his colleague had told him that the same type of discriminatory chanting was also belted out at the other Europa League match at Ibrox.
I am sure that UEFA will brief future match delegates that the song the “Billy Boys” was banned in 2006 the European football body.
If they do then I’m confident that any renditions of this fascist ditty will be included in their match reports.
Phil…I’m amazed that you took the trouble to write to them…
They don’t want to know about Sevco’s “shortcomings”.
It’s a Masonic thing.
They can sing what they want, They can do what they want and unbelievably, They can pay who they want as well.
The only thing that keeps me warm at night is that I know for a fact that they died in 2012.
HH
Maybe invest in some heating?
There was a banner calling for “No sell out on Fishing” among the away support at Maribor v sevco game. It was hung from the fence behind / to the side of the goal at that end and was clearly seen in several shots during tv coverage.
Political statement?
Obviously not as political as a Palestinian flag.
Interesting to read the Match Delegate qualifications and requirements along with the UEFA Delegates Handbook (Edition 2004).
The delegate is required to “submit detailed reports to the UEFA administration immediately after each match” and the content is broadly laid out in the Delegate’s Handbook. There’s some guidance given on “Offences committed by spectators” and the example given of a Delegates Report – this includes, for example purposes (p21), “Clearly audible racist chants”. More specific guidance is needed to meet the circumstances described and to capture the necessary evidence; it is posted often enough on social media.
I believe the Delegates need to be given further instruction on what is unaceptable chanting. The Delegates Handbook was produced in 2004, Billy Boys banned in 2006. Given that the Delegate may not have English as a first language, never mind the knowing the Govan patois, some extra training is needed. If UEFA bans a specific song attached to a specific crowd they should be prepared to do the necessary monitoring.
Language and perception is about it!
That and a silence from those who know what’s going on… like the sfa and Scottish media who are not going to highlight the songbook.
You only have to listen to the radio (sevco) Scotland broadcast on a Saturday afternoon to hear it . Never mentioned but simply ignored, turned down or voices strategically raised to cover.
To the uninformed footballing observer it would look like 50,000 eager football fans proudly just singing in support of their team. The rest I us know what it is they are singing about but go unheard.
Didn’t exactly this happen at their crappy Florida cup competition last year when the sponsors were even duped into broadcasting some of their filth on their own promo material ?….
Not until they were informed about what exactly they were endorsing was anything done.
Uefa need a wake up call !
They’ll fine heavily if a club places advertising an inch out of place, has a banner that draws more attention than the advertising , for not displaying the correct advertising in interviews … see the link?
But … a known offender club (let’s face it there’s plenty of ‘previous’ for sevco and it’s deid ancestor) flouts uefas own rules ‘en-masse’ , on live tv etc etc etc…
And nothing is done !
I’m sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this non-reportage by the match delegates, such as a severe shortage of audiologists in the medical profession. This would explain why the delegates’ collective deafness has gone unchecked. Either that, or these songs are being sung at a frequency outwith the range of human hearing, a sort of dog whistle, if you will. Yes, that’s it!! I knew there would be a perfectly reasonable explanation. Nothing to see (or hear), Timmy… Move along now!! 😉
Could be wrong on this (and not making it up) but thought I had read somewhere not so long ago that the match delegate is usually someone sent over from NI. Is it possible to find who the match delegate is for each match to see if that is true?
It’s easily researched…
He’s the one in the middle! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3d28af933350032ce509dae77445ae09e45cdb9a0dd5485952c489cfb1d36e9b.jpg
Superb sir…
Hat tip.
Is that real or are you pulling ma leg?
Well , actually he is correct , but the other two are on stand-by incase the nominated one gets blootered on buckie !
Hi, Phil,
I know I am a pedant but they have only answered the second half of your question. I wonder why?
DidsburyCelt
Don’t hold your breath. UEFA are just as bad as the SFA when it comes to disciplining Sevco. It’ll just get swept under the carpet like they have with the Res 12 issue.